The NSW State Emergency Service continues to provide assistance to Canada, as a wildfire continues to burn out of control.
This week, logistics specialist Aileen Honeyman, from the NSW SES Hay Unit, will deploy to Alberta, where she will assist with supply coordination alongside Canadian firefighters for five weeks.
Having honed her logistics knowledge while employed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and as a SES volunteer, Aileen is looking forward to using her current skills, and learning new ones.
“It is always a great learning opportunity to work alongside highly skilled and trained people from other organisations,” Aileen said.
“The highly skilled group that have been deployed before me will be able to provide sound knowledge on what’s going on and working alongside them will be highly beneficial for anyone to gain experience working on deployment.”
Aileen will be sourcing, securing and coordinating everything from personnel, and resources on the ground, to accommodation, food and water for frontline firefighters.
“It’s very fast paced, and you have to think on your feet a lot of the time to get things done efficiently and effectively,” she said.
NSW SES Southern Zone Commander Ben Pickup wished Aileen well, and said her deployment was a testament to the skill of NSW SES volunteers.
“Aileen is dedicated to not only supporting the Hay community, but our international communities. This highlights the passion and skill level of our volunteers and their versatility during times of emergency,” Chief Superintendent Pickup said.
Aileen is part of a second Australian and New Zealand contingent, which includes emergency service personnel from NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Forestry Corporation of NSW and the NSW State Emergency Service.
NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York APM said the deployment showed the skills developed by volunteers can be applied well beyond floods and storms.
“I’m proud to see our volunteers and staff continuing to come to the assistance of Canadian firefighters. This deployment shows our diverse capabilities can be applied to managing a range of natural hazards,” Commissioner York said.
